The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1887-08-14
MARK TWAIN As A Gun.


trnTn he thtcftgo Irtohne
Capt. Horace Bixby OF the magnificent
ular man on Southern waters. Capt Bixby ,is
well.preseryed relic OF the golden age 81 the
river, and has been constant student q cur.
bixby IL the man who taught Mark Twain
how TO steer steamboat,, and the success Of
glory on the tutor. That was away 6ack IN
the sos, whom Dixby was pilot, and after all
these years he is nov OF the opinion that A., q
place; Capt. BiSby is now q years Of aSsG9,
y years 10 older than sum 'Gcai Clemens, When 10
1T was quito remarkable how, sam Glenn
don't belieye he over told it oil. 1t was in, the
SefSs 81 was and hsn
River from Cincinnati TO New Orleans, 1t was
Clemens. L was taking the Paul Jones down
from Cincinnati. and he was PASSENGER on
board II tn9sS tines the et h9 ana I Ss
%hssi s%%sgea IIss sn% i%sn In SAs PilGss S SP
passengers who attempted to talk with me.
S g II o wsHs sH sna Wsrs
S SS2spf into stS liz @ and
m:o-r ming, In u drawing manner.
thinking it would freeze him out. But it didn't.
He said:
Bent you wants boy to i-e-a-rn
~, No, don't want any boy to learn the river.
don't know. You WILL have to
Ask my m,oct,,h-e-r. She d-o-e-s the
:" thought he was chatting me when he said
as liz he1 sRe
Sa him s hs did to Hpd wof tSs1 NTH hs Of
lived next door to his father, Judge Clemens Of
q hiS plans he had learned pripiilnlE; Han an;
wth Tor h rs hSR tho sGS
fs sou M1a oP an
There i oniS one eth, thing (: ,h b would induce
Ing VIA W.hsa.t' : t-h.s-tT he asked.
"' Money said l.
That's Just It, answered,
HOY much 2 he gasped.,
s 81 ahs' ss 70 learn
snS s So sn Insx v " Il bs, You'd
bring. an I.ye got 1000 acres Of Land IN Ten;
ness-ee that Gun get rs cents an acre tor said
he. summing up his assets. We talked for
r. 1sS In e T SS
have to provide his own clothes and board
while in port. On tho river he would receive
his board and lodging free. He started In
he learned rapidly: ne, was , I iasSt
writing paper and pencil around the pilot
house, and was eternally scribbling away at
something. I seldom ever tried to investigate
the mysteries OF his manuscript. but soon
days pilots made out reports Of the condition
OF the channel. and Clemens at once developed
into brilliant and picturesque river reporter:
His reports were humorous and contained all
the information. and were frequently copied
into the papers Just as he wrote them. This; |
except. perhaps. some sQuibs for the Hannibal
paper. He was a good boy, not addicted to
dissipation. and obeyed orders. He hated sus-
penders. and used to enjoy himself in worry
loose clothes, with his hair reached back We
steered together on many trips. and then he
license that made him q full. hedged pilot. His
first boat was tho Aonzo Child. under Capt. De
Haven. and he kept turning the wheel until the
war broke out. His boat was then IN the south.
and he piloted three months for. the Coincide
racy. Then he got through the lines and went
went as u volunteer for three months In the
army OF Gen. Sterling Price. the Missouri Con-
federate. He fought for the Confederacy three
moro months on land. and then retreated in
good order, witt, his right resting on It. Louis.
His brother, Orrin Clemens, was at that time
nominated Secretary OF tho Territory OF Neva-
da, and Sam accompanied him West. Every
body knows the rest.